Two men held for online stalking of 14-year-old girl

Thiruvananthapuram: The Pettah police here on Thursday arrested two men under relevant sections of Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for alleged online stalking and abuse of a 14-year-old girl. The police identified the accused as Akhil, 21, of Kadakampally and Sujith, 31, of Muttathara. Both accused are friends and daily wage labourers by profession.
The police said that the two men were arrested after receiving a complaint from the mother of a 14-year-old school girl.
The complainant stated in her petition that she had bought her daughter a smartphone for attending online classes. But the girl used the phone to create accounts in social media apps such as Whatsapp and Instagram.
Akhil got acquainted with her through Instagram and he started sending lewd messages to her.
When the mother found out about this, she seized the phone from the girl. But to her shock, Akhil and Sujith turned up at her home and threatened her. It was following this that she filed a complaint before the police.
The accused went absconding after the police registered a case and launched the probe. They were held from a hideout in the city by a team led by Pettah station house officer Inspector Riyas Raja and sub inspector P Ratheesh.
Besides charges under POCSO Act, the accused were also booked under sections related to house trespass and criminal intimidation.
Following the arrest, the accused were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.